Mirror Image

XXI - A Bad Case of the Blues

"Probably gone off to cry about Shadow," said Knuckles with a chuckle. Tails turned fully around to face him, staring at him in confusion.

"Huh?" he said, "Don't be stupid. Sonic doesn't cry." Sonic hardly ever got upset over anything, and if he did, it was usually over before it began, and he would bounce right back to smiling with joy as he always did. Knuckles laughed, wiping his mouth with a paper napkin.

"Didn't anyone tell you?" said Knuckles, "he got ditched, and now he's trying to act like nothing happened."

"Ditched?" Tails felt even more confused. Knuckles couldn't help but laugh again.

"So apparently," said Knuckles, leaning in to speak to Tails, "Sonic and Shadow got a little friendly on their trip to Cybernia. Like, really friendly if you know what I mean."

"Real subtle, Knux," said Tails, rolling his eyes, "I know they like to kiss each other and stuff."

"Is that what they call it these days?" Knuckles said sarcastically, stopping himself when he remembered who he was talking to, "anyway... we were just getting used to the idea, when Shadow just up and disappears. Chaos Controls out of there without saying goodbye to anyone."

"And that made Sonic cry?" Tails asked.

"Well, no," said Knuckles, "but he was all like 'oh whatever, I don't even like Shadow.'" Trying real hard to sound like he didn't care, but something happened between them, and you could tell he was bummed out. So yeah, I bet Sonic is off somewhere crying about it." Tails felt a heat rising within him, the sound of Knuckles laughter making him grip the table's edge.

"I'm glad you're finding this so funny, Knucklehead!" he barked, making Knuckles jump, his wide grin rapidly diminishing, "If Shadow really did leave him, poor Sonic must be heartbroken. Just how would you feel if Rouge did the same to you?" Knuckles face began to glow even redder than his fur, and he looked around nervously.

"What? Me and Rouge aren't... you know."

"Pull the other one Knuckles," said Tails, "I've seen the way you look at each other. Even a kid like me can tell you like her that way."

"Alright, alright," Knuckles said, waving his arms in an attempt to quieten Tails down, "you've made your point. Where are you going?" Tails had risen from his chair, leaving his uneaten food behind.

"I'm going to find Sonic," he said, "he needs me by his side. He shouldn't be alone right now"

~o~

Slumped in the bathroom stall seated on the closed lid of the commode, Sonic sighed heavily, his breath echoing through the tiny space. He didn't feel like eating or sleeping, he just wanted to sit in this quiet space with the door locked and lose himself in thought. He finally understood why Shadow wanted to be alone all the time. Solitude offered him a kind of tranquillity that couldn't be found with friends, however much he cared for them.

He didn't understand his paradox: the reason he wanted to be alone is because Shadow had left him alone. His loneliness made him desire further loneliness. This was supposed to be his time to reflect on how he truly felt about Shadow, but there was only one thought that came to his mind.

I need him.

Was this what it would be like? Barely able to spend five minutes away from Shadow without pining so much it hurt? Even now he pictured Shadow's form in his mind; imagined running his hands across his strong yet graceful figure, gazing longingly into those powerful red eyes that pierced his soul, and losing himself in that oh-so-masculine carpet of long white chest fur that made him weak at the knees.